Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-10
BLAINE'S MESSAGE.

President Cleveland's message was
given to the country and the country
read it and was satisfied. Almost imme-
diately thereafter would-be President
James Blaine came TO the front with &
message, everything but official, in which
he undertakes to demolish the arguments
advanced in the Presidents message
Mr.. Blaine, though undoubtedly an able
disputsnt, and as we'll equipped for po-
| liticsl discussion as any man in public
life, does not meet argument altogether
with argument, but cleverly inte1jects a
volume Of sentiment as he goes along,
and always where it will do the most
good. England, he assures US, looks
with great favor upon the free trade ten
denotes of President Cleveland, and is
prepsrlDg for an enormous trade in
fabrics with this country under the benefi
cent influence of lower tariff. This is
to arouse the manufacturers of the coun-
try and rally them to his standard.
He favors the construction of fortif1ca-
tons TO indicate his lopg boosted "strong
foreign policy" and ingratiate himself
into the good graces of the Irish of New
York, who are always ready to applaud
opposition to foreign nations, which
means to England. In this Mr. Blaine
has shown a master hand. While Mr..
Cleveland has been unapproachable on
the subject, Mr.. Bayard, high in the
councils of the administration, has been
by some charged with being the Ameri-
can representative of English capitalists,
and of offensive snobbery. Mr.. Blaine
wants 10 eccentuate not only his sympa-
thy with Irish sentiment, but his
American individualism which is sure to
elicit the good will of the growing
"American sentiment" that we see mani
Testing itself in the outcroppings of
modified Knownothingism, under va
rious names. He favors the re-
peal of the tax on tobacco, and this
will be strong card with him
in that very doubtful state, Virginia. AS
remarkable coincide &c, when Mr..
Blaine's interview Was coming from New
York advocating the repeal OF the in
ternal revenue tax on tobacco, the
Democratic Legislature Of Virginia was
telegrsphing the national representatives
OF that state instructing them to work for
q similar subject. Here is one instance
where Democratic state refused TO be
guided by the policy outlined by g Demo
cratic President. The tax on whisky Mr.
Blsine desires to see remain and, with
much plausibility, he argues with the
Prohibitionlsts in SO able and apparently
sincere a manner as to convince the not
too skeptical that he was "one of them"
His views on the wool question are hand
in hand with the National WoolgroWers'
Association now in session in Washing
ton, that is "Viewirg with alarm" the
impending destruction OF their interests.
There is not S vulnerable point in Mr..
CleveIand's amor that the man fromMaine
has not assaulted and some of them with
success. The Sea coast cities are all
given liberal quantities of tsffy relative
to defenses; the labor element in the
usual way, and with the very proper and
truthful addition that "tobscco is the
poor mans necessity" and that labor
pays the tax imposed upon this product,
which is only partially true. Taken all
in all, Mr.. Blsine's interview is more
catchy and popular than Mr.. Clevelsnd's |
message. For temporary use it is a
better electioneering document. It
is, of course, certain that for
every detection from the Demo- |
cratic ranks on account of revenue or
tariff, there will be an acquisition |
for the same reasons. The question
however, to be settled by the people is
plain and simple, and Mr.. Cleveland has
taken the view Of it that will find the
most advocates. The surplus must be